preaching team

The vision of the team includes a renewed focus on the gift of preaching, recognizing and nurturing this gift in both clergy and lay people, allowing us to hear God's Word through a diverse spectrum of voices while freeing the pastoral staff to focus on other aspects of their ministry.

  • katie castro

    Katie is a speaker, strategist and serial entrepreneur who is committed to the catalyzation of Kingdom movements through innovation, collaboration, and social impact. After living and working internationally for the last decade, Katie is now planting roots in her hometown of Bemus Point with her husband, Javi, and three children, Lucy (10), Zoe (7), and Gabriel (5). Katie holds a Masters degree in Strategic Leadership from St. Bonaventure University. She is leading the charge at Ally Co., a first-of-its-kind venture studio in Western New York. To learn more about Katie, visit her website at www.katiecastro.org.

  • Timothy Miller

    A graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary, Reverend Timothy Miller was in full-time pastoral ministry from 1997-2014. Currently he’s employed as the Head of Maintenance at the Boys and Girls Club. He’s also a ‘Traveling Rev’, filling pulpits around the region, officiating weddings, funerals, baptisms and dedications. 

    Tim has been married to Cathy for 30 years, and they have two sons: Anthony (25) who lives in Fredonia with his wife Catherine, and Titus (22) who lives at home. After living away from the area from 1993-2008, Tim and Cathy returned to the area, and presently live on Jamestown’s south side. They feel called to Jamestown and have grown to love it, considering it home. Their greatest desire is to use their gifts to help people and the community. 

  • rick rohlin

    Rick is the founder and director of the International Sports Academy (ISA), a disciple making ministry that uses the tool of sports to help churches reach youth. These churches are usually in villages and areas where there are few sports and the programs attract large numbers of young people on a regular basis. The ISA is currently in 10 different nations on three continents and is impacting thousands of youth on a weekly basis. See ISASports.org for more information. Rick and his wife Sandie live in Russell, PA with their two sons, Zach (19) and Jason (16). After 28 years of pastoring he transitioned into full time missions work. Rick has a passion for the nations and for young people to experience the life transforming power and love of Jesus.  

  • chloe smith

    A native of Jamestown, Chloe attended Jamestown Business College, receiving an associate degree in marketing and management and a bachelor’s degree in management. She's worked in Jamestown Public Schools as a paraprofessional and in after-school programming as an administrator. She's been an associate pastor at two local churches, the North Main Street Church of God and Zion Tabernacle Church. She's a member of the advisory board of the Blackwell Chapel Baby Café and is a doula-in-training and a spiritual advisor there. Rev. Smith speaks weekly at churches of all denominations throughout Chautauqua County, as well as at civic gatherings, conferences and schools. She is involved with a group of pastors who meet regularly with the Black Community to encourage grassroots civic empowerment, and recently became an adjunct instructor at JBC. Chloe has the joy of being the mother of three wonderful children. She hopes to be a living testimony of God’s love, grace, mercy and faithfulness.


  • JAY bAEHR: COORDINATOR

    As Zion's Administrative Pastor of Adult Ministries and Worship, Pastor Jay will coordinate the Preaching Team and be responsible for the oversight, visioning, and strategies that will be implemented to maintain a cohesive voice. The team, consisting of people from within and outside of our congregation, will work  together to plan themes and preach from their varied perspectives and life experience, on a regular rotation. Pastor Jay will also be available to preach, but most importantly, he will provide a consistent pastoral presence for the congregation, as Zion Covenant Church's ministry staff will no longer include a 'senior pastor'.

  • Kaitlyn Holmgren: rounding out the team

    Kaitlyn Holmgren, our Pastor of Family Ministry, will provide a consistent pastoral presence especially to our 'next generations' and their parents. But she'll also participate in the visioning and planning of the Preaching Team, and be ready and available to preach. Other speakers from within or outside the congregation will be scheduled to share periodically. Lastly, Joey Gerace and other young adults will be integrated into the preaching schedule, giving voice to the next generations among us.